Someone that Cares
by sweatercladpumpkin
Summary: The four times that someone cared for Keith. And the one time that Keith realised that what he had, was in fact, a family.
1. Tex

It was early morning, and Tex had yet to get any sleep. He gently rocked his young son as he tried to soothe the child's cries. Keith was currently running a low grade fever and combined with the fact that he was also teething; well, the poor kid wasn't really having the best time of it right now.

Tex was glad that he had called in sick for the next morning. Being a single father to a six-month-old was a lot tougher than he initially thought it would be. This was the way it had to be though. Krolia had to leave to protect the location of the Blue Lion and the universe as a result.

She had to leave to keep _them_ safe.

He was grateful at least that his work mates were understanding of his situation. A few days after Krolia had left, he brought Keith with him to the station for the first time, largely out of necessity. With no close family living in the area, Tex had been short on babysitting options. His colleagues had fallen in love with his tiny son on sight, captivated especially by his inquisitive indigo eyes that he had inherited from Krolia.

Some had questioned on the identity of Keith's mother, and Tex had told them that Keith was the result of a one night stand and his mother had shown up out of the blue and dropped him off with Tex only a few days prior, only to disappear again. He had felt terrible for that. It was of course a lie, but in reality, for the five months that she had spent with their son, Krolia had been a fantastic mother. Thankfully, everyone had bought the lie – due to Tex largely keeping his life private to begin with – and had offered to allow Tex to bring Keith with him to work. Someone was always at the fire station, so while Tex went on jobs, Keith would still be well looked after.

Keith continued to cry, though his loud wails had decreased to soft whines and whimpers over the past couple of hours. Tex was at a loss. Initially he wasn't worried, Keith had begun teething a couple of weeks back and he was largely uncomfortable during the night as a result. However, the fever did worry him. It wasn't high for now, kept at bay by the dose of medicine he had given his son earlier, but it concerned him all the same. This was the first time Keith had gotten sick, and like most first time parents, Tex felt that it was probably natural to panic, even just a little.

However, Keith getting sick had brought with it unpleasant thoughts. Although his son at first glance seemed human, Tex could not deny that his son was part alien as well. Krolia initially had been confused on how to care for a human baby, confessing to Tex when Keith was not yet a month old that Galra babies became self-sufficient a lot quicker than humans, and that if Keith was full Galra he would already be crawling. At the time, Tex had comforted her that for human babies it was normal for them to take longer, and Krolia seemed so thankful that her partner would be there to help her through this.

Tex recalled the memory with a touch of bitterness, as he was alone now, and if anything distinctly _alien_ happened to his son in the future, he would have no idea how to fix it.

A luxury for most first time parents was that when they were distinctly worried about the health of their child, they would be able to go to the hospital or at the least consult their nearest GP. Keith, in his short six months of life, had never needed one. Krolia had given birth at home, for obvious reasons, and they had lucked out that Keith had avoided getting seriously ill within those first couple of months; but still, Tex worried.

Keith's cries were finally beginning to peter out as exhaustion began to settle in. It had been a rough couple of hours for the poor kid, and unfortunately it was probably going to be a rough couple of days ahead for the both of them if Tex couldn't bring the fever down quickly. He'd done all he could do for now though, having given Keith medicine only an hour before. Any other problems would have to be dealt with when they came along, Tex rationalised to himself, lest he worry himself into a state.

Keith's cries finally ceased with a comically large yawn, his eyelids finally beginning to droop. Even in his sleep deprived state, Tex found himself chuckling softly at the display as he settled himself deeper into the cushions of their worn out sofa, figuring that he may as well make himself comfortable as he doubted he'd be moving from this spot over the next couple of hours. With Keith's head resting on Tex's shoulder, he rubbed soothing circles along his sons back, humming a generic lullaby to ease his son to sleep. Tex sighed in relief when after a few minutes he could feel Keith's breaths even out; his sons congested, heavy breaths fever-warm against the side of his neck. With his son now finally asleep, Tex felt his own exhaustion begin to pull him under.

Tex missed Krolia, and her absence had left a part of him feeling empty. Tears prickled at the corners of his eyes for the first time since Krolia had left. The thoughts overwhelmed him at what Krolia was going to miss out on. He didn't know how long she would be away for – Krolia had seemed unsure herself – but it seemed certain that she was going to miss out on a lot of Keith's early milestones, if not a good chunk of his childhood.

What if she missed out on their sons _entire_ childhood?

Tex's own father had walked out when he was young and he was familiar with the pain of growing up without a parent. It was under very different circumstances, but Tex had never wanted his own children to have felt that pain. And yet here he was, raising his son alone and facing the possibility that Keith would never know his own mother. He wouldn't know how brave and courageous she was. How even though she was a seasoned warrior, she was selfless and caring. And that even though she had been raised in an environment lacking in it, she had nothing but love to give to her only child.

It was that same love that forced her to leave.

The exhaustion from the past couple of hours finally hit him as the tears split over. Although, the weight resting on his chest reassured him that Keith was still here, a constant reminder of the three years he and Krolia spent together. Krolia wasn't here, but Keith _was_. Tex hugged his sleeping son tighter. He couldn't do anything for Krolia now she was gone, but he would do all he could to be there for Keith.


	2. Shiro (& Adam)

Shiro sighed, running his hand down his face as he sunk further into the couch. It was Saturday, and although he itched to be outside enjoying his day off, he was currently swamped with work that he now regretted pushing back to do on the weekend. Though it was only mid-morning, he doubted that he would get through it all by the end of the day. He supposed though that if he managed to get through the majority of it today, then maybe he would be able to take Keith out for a ride on the hoverbikes tomorrow afternoon. They both could use a break, what with end of semester and exams looming in the next couple of weeks.

Speaking of Keith, he hadn't seen much of the boy in the past week. To be fair, Shiro had been flat out himself, taking on extra workloads as half the Garrison staff and student body had come down with a seasonal flu virus that seemed to be making the rounds – as to be expected when so many people living within closed quarters. He assumed that Keith had been busy with his class work, but Shiro still felt a pang of guilt as he usually made time throughout the week to at least check up on the kid.

Shiro was however grateful that he hadn't been called up to the Principals office in the past couple of weeks, meaning that Keith had at least kept himself out of trouble.

The apartment was silent, save for the sound of rustling papers and Shiro's pen scratching on paper. Adam would be out for the majority of the day, at a meeting this morning, before coming back for lunch and leaving again to teach tutoring sessions in the afternoon. It was for this reason that Shiro had opted to work from the comfort of his apartment rather than his office. Well that and he didn't particularly want to risk being laid up for a week if he managed to catch that flu virus.

Straightening from his slumped position, Shiro turned his focus back to his paperwork. There was quite the pile stacked on both his lap and the coffee table in front of him; the more Shiro looked at it, the more he hated himself for procrastinating. He couldn't really do much about it now though. Most of the papers were his student's quizzes and reports that he really should have marked a week ago, not too mention that he still had to draw up lesson plans for his classes next week.

Shiro's concentration was broken by the click of the front door unlocking. _Adam's meeting must have been cut short today_ , Shiro thought. He wasn't complaining, after the past couple of hours he was eager for the distraction. Shiro looked up to welcome his boyfriend home, the greeting dying on his lips when Adam led a very unsteady looking Keith into their apartment.

Keith looked terrible, to say the least. His skin was at least two shades lighter, his eyes glassy and half-lidded, and his nose was obviously running if the sniffling and redness was anything to go by. His usually alert posture was slumped and Shiro feared that Adam's arm wrapped around Keith's shoulder was the only thing keeping him standing. With a concerned frown, Shiro dumped the papers sprawled over his lap onto the coffee table as he stood and quickly made his way over to them.

"I found him wandering around a couple of corridors away." Adam said, as Shiro pressed his hand to Keith's forehead, wincing at the heat radiating from it.

"Couldn't remember which door was yours." Keith admitted quietly.

"Do you think we should take him to the med bay?" Adam whispered in an attempt to avoid Keith hearing.

Shiro went to agree when he noticed that Keith had stiffened, having overheard the question. Keith was thirteen, and old enough to realise when he would be sick enough to seek out medical treatment, and yet he had sought Shiro out first. He supposed there was a reason for that, which he doubted Keith would actually tell him.

"I think he will be fine for now." Shiro answered, leading Keith to the couch he was sitting on previously, "I'll keep an eye on him, but if he gets worse I'll take him."

Adam nodded, before disappearing into their bedroom as Shiro made himself comfortable next to Keith. It was a testament to how unwell Keith felt when as soon as Shiro had sat next to him, he snuggled himself into the older man's side. Whilst Keith wasn't against physical contact, – as he had never protested against Shiro's one armed side hugs and friendly hair ruffles – in the short time that Shiro had known him, Keith had never initiated contact. Shiro assumed – with a touch of sadness for the boy – that it was probably a remnant of his time in the foster care system. Shiro's arm snaked around Keith's shoulders, bringing Keith in closer, trying to provide the comfort he obviously needed.

Adam returned with a pillow and the blanket from their bed and they rearranged Keith into lying down along the length the couch, his head resting on the pillow now in Shiro's lap. Shiro began carding his hand through Keith's long hair, feeling him relaxing into the touch.

"How long have you been feeling like this?"

"I dunno, like a week?" Keith mumbled out from where his face was half turned into the pillow.

"A _week_!" Shiro exclaimed softly, his voice low to avoid agitating the headache Keith was obviously suffering from, if his clenched eyes and desperate attempts to sink further into the pillow were any indication.

"I didn't feel that bad until this morning."

Shiro sighed, exasperated, "Keith, you really should have told someone when you started feeling sick."

"I told you."

 _Well yeah, I guess_ , Shiro supposed, but it was far from the point. Shiro rubbed his temple, "Keith-"

"I had it covered Shiro." Keith, although exhausted, turned to face Shiro, glassy eyes displaying a hardness that was often there. "It's not like it would be the first time I had to take care of myself." Keith grumbled, head turning back into the comfort of the pillow.

Anger swirled in Shiro's gut, along with the familiar feeling of resentment that he often felt when he thought too much about what had happened to Keith in that time between his dad's passing and meeting Shiro. Keith was by no means perfect, Shiro was the first to admit that, but disciplinary issues aside; Keith was a good kid. Shiro himself was guilty of sometimes forgetting how young Keith was. The poor kid had seen more misery in his thirteen years than Shiro had in his twenty, and the result was that Keith had to grow up remarkably fast compared to his peers.

Every adult in Keith's life in recent years had labelled him as a discipline case, writing him off as a lost cause when he was barely into his teenage years. But Shiro was determined to be there for him. He was not naïve, he knew from the moment that Keith had stolen his car the day they met that it was going to be difficult. But over the past couple of months he had noticed slight changes in the younger boy. Whilst Keith still struggled with authority and trusting others, he was slowly opening himself up to others, especially to Shiro. He supposed that the fact that Keith had actually sought him out when he was feeling sick was proof of that.

"Here," Shiro startled out of his thoughts as Adam seemingly materialised in front of him, holding out two pills and a glass of water in his other hand, "-get him to take these."

Shiro nudged Keith into a sitting position, and Keith quickly downed the pills with a grimace before chugging the water. Shiro didn't get the chance to warn Keith that drinking that quickly might not be the best of ideas – with the risk of upsetting his stomach – before Keith handed the glass back to him and flopped back down, smothering his face back into the pillow.

Shiro laughed, though it came out as more of a snort. Keith always had a way of doing things with such dramatic flair that Shiro couldn't help but be amused by it every time. The tension in his shoulders that he didn't realise had been there since Adam and Keith had entered the apartment finally began to loosen. If Keith still had enough energy for dramatics, then hopefully he wasn't as sick as Shiro had initially feared.

He also didn't miss the halfhearted glare Keith gave him and he only _just_ managed to stop himself from laughing outright.

Feeling that Keith was starting to drift off, Shiro went back to his paperwork, combing his fingers through the boy's hair as his breathing evened out.

Shiro could hear Adam quietly pottering around the apartment as he got ready to head out for the afternoon. As he was leaving, Adam swapped the papers in Shiro's hand with a warm cup of coffee, kissing the top of his head. Shiro looked up and caught the fond smile his boyfriend cast at the two of them currently curled up on the couch. Sipping at his coffee, Shiro's eyebrows raised at him in question, to which he received a fond smile and a slight shake of his boyfriends head in reply.

"Call me if you guys need anything." Adam – mindful of the sleeping boy in Shiro's lap – whispered, grabbing his teaching materials and stuffing his keys into his pocket. Shiro nodded and they exchanged a quiet "I love you" to one another as Adam shut the front door after him.

Shiro worked for the next few hours in relative silence, punctuated by Keith's rough coughs and congested snores. At some stage, Keith had turned so that his face was pressed against Shiro's abdomen, likely trying to alleviate his headache from the bright lights of the apartment.

Shiro was about halfway through his massive pile of paperwork when Keith shifted with a groan, his sleep hazed eyes meeting Shiro's.

"Dad?"

Shiro froze, not knowing how to answer. Was Keith dreaming? Should he say something? Shiro's mind raced, desperately trying to think of what to do. He had been making progress with building their friendship. Keith was finally starting to _trust_ him; to the point that he had allowed Shiro to see him when he was vulnerable. But Keith still had many walls up, and his nature still prickly, and if Shiro handled this wrong, he would risk undoing months of progress.

He didn't think quick enough. He watched Keith's expression shift from confusion, to sadness then finally to mortification as he realised his slip up, a red blush creeping onto his cheeks that Shiro knew was not due to the fever.

"Sorry, Shiro. Just...Just forget I said that." Keith's voice hitched, and he roughly pushed himself up and away so that he was now sitting as far away from Shiro as the couch would allow, his arms wrapping around his knees drawn up to his chest.

Shiro mentally kicked himself for not acting sooner. He had to fix this now before Keith closed himself off. He raised his hands in an open gesture of surrender, as if he were trying to calm a cornered animal, "Keith, it's-"

"Just forget about it, Shiro." Keith's fever glazed eyes were as hard as his voice, and Shiro could see the walls begin to come up again. "You don't have to say anything. I know he's dead." Keith bit out the last sentence, something flashing in his eyes as he looked away, directing his scowl at the coffee table in front of him.

Shiro drew back at Keith's outburst, knowing that there was something he was missing.

It took a moment for him to piece it together, "You're allowed to miss him, Keith."

Keith didn't respond, his glare intensifying, and Shiro noticed the wetness gathering at the corners of his eyes. They sat there in tense silence, Shiro allowing Keith to make the first move and talk to him when he was ready, if he even wanted to talk at all.

"I hate being sick." Keith eventually rasped out. He swiped roughly at his eyes, his shoulder's hunched up near his ears and his whole posture on edge, almost daring Shiro to mention it. Shiro let him go, giving Keith his full attention but not making a move to comfort the boy. That was the last thing Keith wanted right now, and Shiro knew that. Though it made him feel helpless.

Keith's face suddenly blanched, and before Shiro could process it, Keith had shot up and rushed down the hall to the bathroom. The sounds of him painfully throwing up into the toilet brought Shiro out of his shock as he hurriedly made his way after him, stopping at the kitchen first for a glass of water.

Entering the bathroom, Shiro was met with Keith leaning his head on the edge of the toilet bowl, his shoulders heaving and breath coming in gasps from the exertion. Shiro knelt beside him, his hand rubbing soothing circles on the boy's back. Keith initially flinched away from the touch before allowing himself to melt into it with a whimper, his head moving from resting on the toilet bowl to resting on Shiro's shoulder. He let out a hiccuping sob and Shiro felt his shirt under Keith's head quickly become damp with tears. Shiro put the glass of water down beside him before wrapping his arms around Keith, the boys sobs intensifying.

"I miss him." Keith choked out.

Shiro didn't provide any words of comfort, knowing that Keith had already heard them all before. Right now what Keith needed was someone to hold him as he broke down.

Shiro rested his check on the top of Keith's head, and he felt arms wrap tight around his waist in return.


	3. Lance (& Team Voltron)

Allura was in high spirits over their newest alliance as they walked back to the castle. She was happily chatting away to Keith, who nodded along politely as he walked alongside her, Allura's arm looped through his in a rare display of affection from both involved. Lance, Pidge and Hunk brought up the rear, a few paces back, the later two discussing their newest project that they were eager to get back to. Lance was quiet, half listening to the discussion happening around him, though his attention was mainly on the two walking in front of them.

Lance couldn't shake the feeling that something was _off_ with Keith.

Keith had been grouchy all week. And after the past couple of weeks they have had, it was perfectly understandable, what with Shiro still missing and the necessary swapping around of Paladins and Lions.

Lance felt his throat burn at the familiar pang of sadness at not being able to pilot Blue anymore. Not that Red was bad, Red was actually pretty cool and super fast, but he had bonded quickly with the Blue Lion since leaving Earth. His connection with Blue always reminded him of water; rivers and streams and the vast ocean they had left back on Earth, which in turn reminded him of Varadero and family and _home_.

Red, however, was the opposite, warm and comforting in her own way, but not in the way that reminded him of home. His connection with Red always made him think of the summer months he spent at the Garrison and the stifling heat that would overwhelm him. He remembered Keith's shack not far from the Garrison, and wondered if Keith felt comforted by the connection he had with Red like Lance did with Blue, and how different his new connection with Black must be.

On top of losing that connection, Lance didn't doubt that the past couple of weeks had been especially difficult for Keith. As the pilot of the Black Lion, he was now the head of Voltron, and he had pretty much taken Shiro's place. Lance wasn't privy to how Keith and Shiro knew each other before Voltron, though given their interactions anyone could gather that they were close. Closer than he and Hunk were. Lance would say that their relationship was brotherly, given that what they had was similar to what Lance and his brothers shared. Lance couldn't fathom having lose any of his siblings and then be expected to fill the gap that they had left...

But today had been different. Keith wasn't as snappish as he had been over the past few weeks. He was quiet and reserved, not even rising to Lance's taunts during training that morning. He had acted accordingly at the coalition dinner that night, though Keith would usually leave the negotiations to Allura. He may be Voltron's team leader, but Keith himself would be the first to admit (with Lance a close second) that diplomacy was not one of his strong suits.

No, what had really worried Lance was that, after the dinner negotiations had ended, Keith stood up and fell forward, his hip making a painful thud against the table in front of him. Lance had overheard Allura's question of concern, but Keith had simply shrugged it off as getting his foot caught in the long colour-coded cloth that had been ceremoniously draped over each of the paladin's chairs.

But Lance's eyes were keener than he ever let on. He wasn't the team sharpshooter for nothing. Keith's feet had been no where near the cloth, something that Allura or the others wouldn't have known from where they sat opposite him.

Keith hadn't tripped over anything. He stumbled.

Keith Kogane _never_ quiznacking stumbled.

In fact, Keith had fantastic coordination and reflexes. Lance had almost been jealous when they first started fighting together. In those early days of Voltron, time and time again Lance would be knocked flat on his face by the gladiator, only to look up and see Keith dodge it effortlessly. His movements reminded Lance of a cats, agile and sure-footed. Not once in the months that Lance had known Keith had he ever seen the smaller teen trip over his own feet or over nothing.

So Keith's stumble now had Lance's worrying mind running on overdrive. Now knowing what he should be looking for, Lance could see that something was weighing Keith down, grabbing him by shoulders and dragging him towards the ground beneath him. Lance wasn't sure earlier if it was the lighting of the large ballroom that they had spent their evening in, but outside he could tell that Keith was a shade paler than normal, and he could see the sheen of sweat on Keith's forehead, despite the cool night air.

Yep. Something was very wrong with Keith.

"You've been oogling Keith for the past half varga."

Although Lance had tried to be subtle, he apparently had not managed to fool Pidge's sharp eyes. Ever blunt, she broke Lance out of his rambling thoughts, nudging his arm with hers, her eyebrows raised suggestively. Thankfully her _loud_ observation had not drawn Allura and Keith's attention in front of them, who were still happily chatting away.

Lance spluttered, feeling his ears heat up, "O-oogling! I'm not! I'm just-"

Pidge let out a bark of laughter, "Relax, Lance. I'm just messing with you." She shot a look at Hunk who was walking on Lance's other side, the corners of his mouth quirked upwards in amusement. _The traitor_ , Lance thought as he pouted at them petulantly, feeling left out of whatever inside joke was being shared between the two.

After a minute of them laughing at Lance's expense, Pidge settled down, her voice low so that only Lance and Hunk could hear, "But seriously though, what's going on?"

At Lance's questioning look, she huffed, "Your left eyebrow is doing that twitching thing it does when you're worried. Well that, and you're practically boring a hole into the back of Keith's head. So come on, spill."

Lance sighed, looking at their new Black Paladin walking a few paces ahead of them, "Something's wrong with Keith. He just seems, _off_ tonight."

"Yeah I noticed too." Hunk's eyes narrowed in concern as he glanced between them and Keith, "But I mean, he has had a lot to deal with lately, what with Shiro gone and now having to take his place piloting Black. Like, it can't be the easiest time for him right now."

"That, and I know that he's still going out every night searching for him." Pidge added.

Lance's eyes widened, "Wait seriously? I thought he stopped doing that after the lion swap."

"I thought so too. But I saw him heading to Black's hanger the other night when you guys were already asleep. When I checked the surveillance videos the next morning, it showed that Black had been gone for at least two vargas."

Hunk, ever the mother hen – especially now with Shiro gone – straightened, pointing around Lance at the smallest Paladin, "Wait, what were _you_ doing up so late?"

"My business and my business alone." Pidge bristled, crossed her arms defensively.

"We've talked about this, Pidge. You need to sleep! Pulling all-nighters all the time isn't good for you. You're young and you need proper sleep."

"...uh guys."

"You say 'young' as if you're not only two years older than me!"

"And I get my 8-10 hours of sleep that is recommended."

"Guys."

"We're in space! Whats to say that you guys are actually going to bed early."

"I dunno, maybe the fact that the castle runs on a cycle system and you just so happen to stay awake when that cycle is in the 'sleep' phase."

"Hey you two, cut it out! Keith, remember?" Lance gripped the two arguing paladins arms, snapping them out of their bickering before it could escalate and bringing them back to the real problem.

"Oh right." Hunk shrunk back a bit, sheepish at going off track, with Pidge mirroring the action.

Lance sighed, rubbing his hand against the back of his neck, "So if he's out searching at night, and doing Voltron stuff with the rest of us during the day, when the quiznack is he sleeping?"

Lance's question remained unanswered as the group arrived at the already open entrance to the Castle of Lions, Coran dutifully waiting for their return.

"Ah Princess, Paladins, how were the festivities?" Coran moved to help remove the shawl wrapped around Allura's shoulders as she happily began recounting the events of their night, with Pidge and Hunk adding their version of the night's events when needed. Lance pretended to be invested in the debrief, watching Keith in his peripheral. If Keith caught him staring he might put his guard up like he usually did whenever Lance was concerned, and Lance wasn't having that tonight. He was going to figure out what was wrong whether Keith liked it or not.

From the corner of his eye, Lance saw Keith sway slightly and Lance turned his attention fully to the Black Paladin, every nerve in his body prickling with nervous energy. He took in Keith's wan expression; his skin washed out, – the fluorescent lighting of the Castle not really helping – heavily contrasting with the dark bags under dull, vacant eyes. The weight on his shoulders only seemed to be getting heavier, given how Keith had begun to slouch as the debrief went on.

Keith looked absolutely exhausted.

Lance steeled himself. Nope that was it! He was shutting this down right now! They could debrief in the morning after everyone, especially Keith, was well rested and not about to fall face first on the floor.

However, his decision was too late as he watched what he feared would happen play out in what he thought was slow-motion.

Keith's eyes closed for a second too long, what remaining colour draining from his face. The weight on his shoulders finally won out, as Keith fell heavily to his knees.

Lance's heart lurched into his throat. He reached forward with a wordless cry of alarm, narrowly preventing Keith's head connecting with the hard castle floor as the black-haired teen slumped to the side.

He felt more than heard the flurry of movement as everyone rushed to them. Lance however was solely focused on his unconscious friend he was now cradling in his arms.

Lance gently tapped Keith's cheek, "Hey, come on buddy. I need you to open your eyes for me, yeah?" Keith's eyes cracked open, and Lance felt some of the tension loosen, though that relief was short lived as Keith's unfocused gaze stared up and straight through him.

Lance startled as a hand gently gripped his shoulder. "Lance, we need to lie Keith down so that I can check him over," Coran coaxed gently from where he knelt in front of them.

He nodded, slowly lowering Keith so that he was flat on the cold floor, keeping a hand under his head to provide some comfort. Keith flinched slightly, eyes closed tightly as he tried to turn away from the Castle's harsh florescent lighting.

"Hunk, I need you to elevate his legs," Coran instructed as he began fussing over the semi-conscious paladin.

Hunk settled at Keith's feet, lifting them into his lap, "Is he going to be okay?" he asked, worried.

Allura and Pidge, who had been quiet during the past few minutes, broke their anxious stare from their downed friend and turned it toward the older Altean. They hovered nervously, looking over Coran's shoulder, standing between Lance and Hunk respectively, though standing slightly back a bit to give them space.

"It doesn't seem serious, maybe a virus, though he doesn't seem feverish so I think exhaustion may be more likely. However, I won't know for sure until I properly scan him." Coran stood, wincing slightly as his knees cracked, "For now, let's get him somewhere he can lie down comfortably. While you all do that, I can pick up some supplies from the infirmary and meet you all there."

"The common room's probably the closest." Hunk suggested.

"That would be the best option. It doesn't seem to be serious, but I would feel better if he rested somewhere where we can keep an eye on him, just in case."

Moving Keith to the lounge area was slow going. Lance and Hunk had taken up supporting the shorter teen on either side, slowly walking him between them. Keith had stubbornly insisted that he was able to walk on his own to begin with, however about half-way to their destination, they found themselves carrying all of Keith's weight, and Lance's suspicion that he had blacked out again was confirmed by the confused expression Keith had when they lowered him onto the sunken couches.

Coran had met them there a few minutes later, passing Pidge and Hunk (who were set on their mission to retrieve every blanket and pillow they could find to create a massive blanket nest) as he entered, medical supplies in tow.

Lance sat Keith up, slipping himself in between Keith and the back of the couch as Allura sat herself down next to them, grabbing Keith's closest hand and soothingly rubbing her thumb over his knuckles. She sent Lance a look over the Black Paladins head and he realised that Allura looked as helpless as he felt.

The next few minutes passed in silence, broken only by the quiet beeping coming from the tablet in Coran's hands. Black hair tickled the edge of Lance's jawline as Keith relaxed into Lance's hold, his breath evening out, and Lance assumed that Keith had dozed off again.

"Well, the good news is that it's not serious." Coran announced, just as Pidge and Hunk had returned and started arranging the blankets on the floor. "The scan didn't detect a virus, though the results say that there is an imbalance in his electrolyte levels."

"So he's dehydrated, then?" Pidge caught on.

"Yes it would seem so." Coran looked up from the tablet with a relieved smile. "It's manageable though. Probably won't need to set up a drip if we can get him to drink enough fluids over the next few vargas."

Lance's eyebrows furrowed, "So wait if it's not serious, then why did he pass out?"

"Well, we know he hasn't been really sleeping lately. Maybe that combined with being dehydrated just made him sorta, well, shut down I guess?" Hunk shrugged.

Coran looked worriedly down at Keith, now sound asleep against Lance's side, "Yes, that would probably do it."

The rooms atmosphere turned sombre, everyone's expression forlorn.

"What should we do?" Allura's question broke the silence, her usually confident voice wavered with uncertainty.

Lance didn't miss the broader meaning of Allura's question, and looking at everyone else, it seemed it wasn't lost on them either. Nothing had seemed _right_ since Shiro's disappearance. Before, everyone had a set place on the team. Now, they were all floundering, trying to fit into roles they felt that they weren't meant to play. But they all continued to keep up the facade, wondering that maybe if they kept at it long enough it would eventually begin to feel normal. And it had seemed to be working. They were now able to form Voltron regularly, and the success of tonight's and previous coalition functions were proof enough that things would at the least be able to go back to some semblance of normal.

However, Keith fainting had shattered the illusion, reinforcing everything that was wrong with their current situation. And right now, it revealed that Keith was struggling, both from missing Shiro and from having to fill the place that he had left. Keith hadn't even _wanted_ to be the Black Paladin, but eventually he took on the role for the benefit of the team. And as a result, he had driven himself to the point of collapse.

And all of them had been too caught up in their own issues that not one of them noticed until it was too late.

Lance, the new Red Paladin, Keith's right hand man, _his friend_ ; hadn't noticed until it was too late.

"Rest and water should pick him back up again. Though it might take a few quintants for him to be truly back in fighting form." Coran said cheerfully, though Lance could see the worry crinkling at the corner of his eyes. He pointedly ignored the broader issue, something Lance appreciated for the most part. Tonight they had to focus solely on getting Keith better. That and Lance could see that the nights events had put everyone on edge. They could talk about everything else when everyone was up to it. Keith especially.

With the blanket nest now adequately set up, Hunk bee-lined for the kitchen, Coran on his heels. Allura helped Lance lower Keith down from the couches so that he was sitting on the blanket nest on the floor, Allura supporting his shoulders from behind, as Pidge moved in to help Lance remove the bulky pieces of Keith's paladin armour. Keith stirred as Lance was removing the chest plate, slurring out another stubborn assurance that he could do it himself, as he weakly grasped that the straps that connected the back and chest plates at his side. He tugged at it for a few seconds, his brow furrowing in frustration at not being able to undo the easy clasp, before Lance gently guided his hand away. Keith glared weakly at him before finally accepting defeat, slumping back into Allura's hold and allowing Pidge and Lance to finish their task.

By the time that Pidge and Lance had moved to remove their own armour, Coran and Hunk returned, Hunk's arms overflowing with water pouches for Keith and various snacks for the rest of them. Coran managed to get a half-asleep Keith to down one of the water pouches, before he and Allura gently lowered him to lying down on his side in the middle of the blanket nest, Keith asleep before his head hit the pillow.

Lance settled himself down on Keith's left side. Pidge claimed the spot to Keith's right, with Allura and Coran settling on her other side, and Lance could feel Hunk shifting to get comfortable against his back. The lights dimmed remotely and soon the sounds of soft snores – well, loud in Hunk's case – and breathing filled the room.

However, Lance couldn't sleep. He stared intently at the ceiling above him, the nights events still bothering him. He supposed that the good thing was that Keith was going to be okay. 'Rest and water', was what Coran had said. But Lance still worried.

They could have avoided this. Honestly, what had happened to Keith could have happened to any of them considering the stress they had all been under in the past couple of weeks. Lance himself had his insecurities over being the new Red Paladin. Being the Red Paladin came with a whole new set of responsibilities, as well as having to fly the Red Lion, who by the way was _way_ faster and _way_ more temperamental than Blue had ever been. But he had voiced those concerns to Hunk weeks ago, and while his friend didn't have the answers Lance desperately needed, it had helped to at least talk about his concerns, sharing the burden with someone else…

 _Oh…_

Lance's eyes widened, realisation hitting him hard. With Shiro now gone, Keith probably didn't have that support anymore. Lance doubted that Keith felt comfortable enough to come to either of them to help him with dealing with losing Shiro along with the extra stress of now being the Black Paladin. Lance supposed that he was partly to blame for that one. He wasn't very _inviting_ to Keith when they had first met.

Lance looked over at Keith, the shorter teen finally getting the much needed sleep that he needed. The relaxed expression he wore was one that Lance could not remember seeing on him in a very long time, even before all this mess began.

In that moment, Lance determined that from now on things were going to change.

He was going to be there for Keith.

* * *

He must have fell asleep because the next thing Lance knew he was being shocked awake by the shifting of blankets next to him and sudden loss of warmth on his right side. Dazed with sleep, his eyes skimmed the room, trying to find the cause of the disturbance that had woke him, before they landed on Pidge, her face slack and glasses askew, lying next to him. Lance's sleep addled brain took a moment to realise that something was wrong with that image.

 _Oh yeah, Pidge wasn't next to me. Keith wa_ -

Lance shot up, all traces of sleep forgotten as he frantically searched around him, taking in the rest of the group still sleeping soundly on the blanket nest, having not been disturbed by Keith's escape. Stealthily removing himself from the pile and climbing over the back of the sunken couch, Lance made his way down the hall, propelled by the gut feeling that Keith was heading to Black's hanger.

Thankfully, he didn't need to search for long. Lance turned into the corridor that lead to Blacks hanger in the centre of the Castle and stopped short when he almost collided with the Black Paladin. Given that Keith currently had his hand braced against the wall in a desperate attempt to keep himself upright, it looked like fatigue had caught up to him first.

Lance quickly composed himself and crossed his arms, attempting to seem more disapproving rather than letting on just how concerned he actually was, "And where do you think you're going?"

Keith startled at the question, only now aware of Lance's presence behind him; and honestly it was a terrifying sign of how out of it Keith really was. Lance had put it down to being part Galra, but Keith was almost impossible to sneak up on.

"I need to look for him." Keith rasped out, not bothering to turn and face Lance, desperately trying to move his way towards Black's hanger.

"You _need_ to take it easy."

"Lance…" Keith breathed out, tone suggesting that he was going to fight Lance on this and try and change his mind.

Lance wasn't going to give him the chance, "Oh no. No, no, _no_ don't _'Lance'_ me, Keith! Are you even looking at yourself? You can't even stand let alone _fly_ right now! Quiznack, Keith! You fainted tonight! You do realise that you scared us all half to death, right? That you scared _me_ half to death!" Lance's voice shook slightly at the admission.

Keith turned carefully to face him, looking at him apprehensively. Lance covered the short distance between them, holding onto the shorter teen's shoulders to steady him when he faltered slightly.

Lance sighed, his voice gentle, "I know you miss him Keith. We all miss him, but I know that Shiro was more to you and you're taking this harder than us. But Keith, you know you can come to us for help right? You don't need to keep pushing through all this and putting on a brave face around us until the point you run yourself down." Keith ducked his head, and Lance bent down slightly to try and meet his eyes. "Yeah, we're not Shiro, but we will always be there for you. You don't have to go through all of this on your own."

"I had to before." Keith whispered.

Lance almost flinched, "Kerberos?" he asked, remembering the year Keith had spent alone in that desert shack, booted from the Garrison and having no one to turn to. The only person close enough to care, lost and declared dead.

His response was a slight nod, "I just got him back." Keith's voice cracked with emotion and Lance quickly pulled Keith to him, arms wrapped tight around him, reassuring him that this time, Keith was not alone.


	4. Krolia

Keith looked downright miserable from where he sat across the fire from her. Their campfire popped and crackled, casting flickering shadows across the damp walls of the alcove that they had come to call home since they had taken up residence on the 'space whale.' Keith had coined the term not long after they had found the majestic beast, stating that the creature reminded him of its Earth equivalent. Krolia had spent three years on Earth, but could not remember any of it's creatures being this massive, to which Keith had informed her that Earth whales lived in the ocean and that having lived in the desert his entire live, he had also never seen one.

Her son sniffled slightly, rubbing the back of his hand against his nose, and Krolia wondered if it was a sign that he was getting sick or simply due to the constant dampness that had plagued them for the past three days. Whilst it was a small blessing that the space whale had an atmosphere with breathable air, it also meant that came with its own weather; so for the past few days the three of them – Keith's new pet wolf included – had been confined to the alcove as the rain had set in and looked like it wasn't letting up anytime soon.

Krolia heard Keith sniffle again, he curled further into himself in a desperate attempt to keep himself warm, his gloomy expression deepening. The wolf pup shifted further into her son's side, its thick fur providing extra warmth. He sat right at the edge of the fire pit, and Krolia mused that if he were able too, he'd probably be sitting amongst the flames. She had found out early on into their stay together that Keith was more susceptible to the cold than she was, and that he was also too stubborn to actually tell her of the fact, a trait that he had (unfortunately) inherited from her. Although their Blade of Marmora armour was well insulated, the constant rain seemed to seep through anyway, leaving both of them constantly chilled.

Krolia also knew that Keith had not been sleeping well lately, probably due of the cold as well as the memories that they had been forced to re-live since they had entered the Quantum Abyss. Lately they had been re-living Keith's memories, and whilst some of them had been happy ones, – Krolia enjoyed those of his time with Voltron the most, as Keith would go on later to tell her more stories of his former team with a small smile, one that she rarely saw on him – some of the latest ones had been, not so happy.

The worst had been a week ago. Keith had been sleeping – it was Krolia's turn to keep watch – when she saw the bright light that came before they were flung back to the past, or on the rare occasion saw glimpses of their futures. The memory was a short one – a much younger version of her son, standing at his fathers, her _partners_ , grave.

Krolia had been flung back to the present with a start, and she had not been surprised to feel the tears trailing down her face. In the months since they reunited, Keith had never mentioned his father, and while a part of her desperately tried to deny it, she had come to believe that he wasn't around anymore. Now that her fears were confirmed, she hurt. But the hurt over the loss of her partner was nothing compared to the pain she felt for her son, who was so _young_ when his father had died. She had left Earth to protect them, and by a cruel twist of fate, her child was left alone and vulnerable at such a young age.

Keith had awoken shortly after, his back turned to her as he quietly apologised for not telling her sooner. She had covered the distance between them in an instant, gathering her son up into her arms as she whispered out apologies into his hair. Keith had stilled against her at first, before allowing himself to relax into her hug, as they grieved their loss together.

Krolia later realised that this was the first time that she had held her son since she had left him, all those years ago.

The memories that followed were not any better. She saw glimpses of the moment that Keith found out that the Kerberos mission was declared lost, Keith realising once again that he was alone in the world. She saw memories of her son alone in a familiar desert shack. She saw how happy Keith had been when he got Shiro back, to then only watch his heart break again when his friend was ripped away from him again only months later. She saw the memory of his team, looking at him in disapproval, as he had let them down one time too many, and he succeeded at isolating himself from everyone once again.

Keith had been particularly solemn after that one. It seemed to be the most recent and Krolia assumed that the feelings associated with it were still raw.

She supposed that the combination of the rain and having to re-live these moments was the reason why Keith suddenly exclaimed in frustration, startling the wolf at his side, and Krolia from her thoughts.

"I can't take any more of this fucking rain!" he cried out as he stalked out of the alcove, (ironically) into the rain.

Krolia stood to go comfort him, but hesitated as she got the edge of the alcove. This had not been the first time in their few months together that Keith's frustration and anger had gotten the better of him. Every time, Krolia felt a pull from within her that made her want to hug him like she did when he was an infant, holding him tight to her to make all of his problems go away. But she always stopped herself. Keith was not an infant anymore. She had been gone for many years and that infant now stood before her as an adult, although a young one – especially by Galra standards.

It hit her at that moment that it was fear that stopped her. She almost forgot what it felt like to be afraid. There was no room for fear with the Blade of Marmora. But that is what she felt. She was afraid. Afraid of rejection from her only child.

Krolia scowled at the realisation. She was not going to be afraid anymore. She steeled herself, steeping out of the alcove, but was distracted from her mission by another bright flash of light. The last thing she saw before it enveloped them was Keith flinch, bracing himself.

The memory was short, playing out in flashes. A battle, Keith in Blade of Marmora armour flying a Galra fighter ship. He desperately attempted to contact the Voltron Paladins – his friends – as he kept up communication with another human sided with the rebels. Memory Keith looked at the impenetrable shield that protected the Galra warship and Zarkon's witch and in that moment he made his decision, as he turned the fighter ship around and – to Krolia's horror – flew the ship straight at the shield, his rebel friend desperately pleading him to stop over the comms. Krolia watched on as memory Keith closed his eyes, accepting his sacrifice if it meant that his friends would survive.

Krolia came back to the present, her mind reeling. Horrified by what she had seen, she reached out for her son; his back turned to her, his shoulders hunched around his ears and hands fisted at his sides. "Keith-" she whispered.

"There was no other way." He cut her off abruptly, flinching away from her outstretched hand. "Haggar had Nuxzela set to blow, and it would have taken Voltron and the rest of us out with it." He explained. His voice cracked slightly, "The mission is more important than the individual."

Krolia lightly grasped Keith's shoulder, pulling him around to meet her eyes. "Do they know?" she asked gently. Keith refused to meet her eyes, but she saw the brief shake of his head. "Why didn't you tell them?"

"It wasn't important at the time. Lotor showed up at the last minute and managed to break the barrier, so everything was fine. Then we had to deal with Lotor suddenly wanting to change sides so there was no time to mention it to anyone before I was sent on another mission with the Blade."

Krolia wondered if that was the actual reason. In the short time she had to get to know her son, she knew that he had a tendency to ignore his own emotions.

"And anyway, it wouldn't have mattered. If Lotor didn't show up then I would have died and Voltron would be safe and that's all that matters." Keith finally raised his eyes to meet Krolia's, an intensity shining in them that Krolia had not seen before. Krolia felt her heart sink.

 _The mission is greater than the individual._

Krolia leveled herself with her son, tightening her grip on his shoulders "Keith, you are important too."

It broke her heart that Keith had any right to look surprised by her statement. His surprise melted into sorrow, his eyes becoming glassy with emotion, and for a split second Krolia wondered if she said something wrong.

"I couldn't let them die." Keith's voice cracked at the admission, leaning forward and pressing his face into Krolia's shoulder. Krolia wrapped her arms around him, taking note of his slight shaking that she doubted was due to the rain.

It began to make sense to her now. The cycle that Keith seemed to be stuck in. Not allowing himself to get too close to anyone lest they leave him again.

He had just decided at one point to pull away before anyone could do it to him first.

But he _had_ let himself get close to his team, and now he hurt because he was unsure if they cared for him as much as he cared for them.

No-one had stopped him when he left Voltron. Krolia had seen the memory. They let him go thinking that it was what he wanted. And in some ways it was. But in the end it had just reaffirmed his fears that he wasn't needed. That he wasn't _wanted_. And the cycle began anew.

That cycle started with her leaving.

Krolia cupped Keith's face in her hands, drawing him away from her and forcing him to look her in the eyes. "I'm never going to leave you again, Keith." A mixture of emotions swam in her sons eyes, relief, happiness, hope; but the one that dominated was doubt. "It might take a while for you to truly believe that – and that is entirely my fault – but please, know that I am telling the truth."

Keith broke her hold as he stepped back warily. The moment grew slightly tense as Keith starred her down, searching to see if there was a trick to her words. She understood why, Keith had learnt when he was too young that words could be empty, meaningless and used to manipulate; she had seen those memories too. But seeing only sincerity, he slightly nodded.

"I believe you, Krolia." he smiled softly.

Regardless of the chill the rain had brought, warmth spread through every inch of her body, and Krolia found herself smiling back.


	5. Keith

The explosion briefly blinded his senses, and the next he knew, Keith was falling. He could no longer feel the connection with the other paladins, meaning that the blast had split up Voltron. The Black Lion's internal lighting was dark, though Keith still felt a weak connection with his lion.

These were his last thoughts before Black made contact with the Earth, and everything else ceased to exist.

* * *

Keith slowly came back to awareness by the sensation of fingers softly combing through his hair. His eyes cracked open to a blurry purple figure.

"You came back."

Krolia smiled softly, the hand not currently running through his hair tightening its hold on his left hand, "I did."

Keith couldn't help but to smile back, it was weak and tinted with exhaustion, but he was happy to see his Mom. Peering over her shoulder, Keith spotted Kolivan sitting on the window sill, a relieved yet proud smirk on his face.

His eyes drifted over the unfamiliar room, "Where?"

"You're in a medical facility, Keith."

Panic bubbled in his chest. His team. Were they ok? Keith turned desperate eyes to Krolia "Mom-" he croaked out.

"They are all fine." Krolia soothed, as if reading his mind, "You were the last to wake up."

Keith hummed tiredly, "Good." A wave of drowsiness hit him full force and he found himself struggling to fight against it.

"It's alright Keith. Get some sleep, you need it."

The wave lapped over him and he drifted once again.

* * *

The next he awoke, his hospital room was empty. Dull sunlight cast long shadows around him, and he assumed that it must be late afternoon.

 _Visiting hours must be over,_ Keith thought as he sat up, noticing the absence of his mother and Kolivan. He slumped forward as the dizziness hit him full force, his hand propped against his forehead in an effort to stop it. His fingers brushed against the soft cloth bandage. A concussion then, that explained a lot.

It didn't take too long for the dizziness to subside to the point where he was left with a dull headache, and he righted himself again. Slowly, he moved his legs so they dangled over the edge of his hospital bed and he gradually hoisted himself up to stand. The room didn't feel like it was spinning so all good so far. However, that began to change as he moved his way from his bed to the door. He had not moved two steps before it felt like the floor was moving out from under him, and he found himself leaning heavily on the bedside table trying to catch his breath.

"Keith?"

He had barely registered the knock that announced his visitors' entry. Keith looked up at the man that stood in front of him, recognising the familiar hair and eye colour that he shared with the smallest paladin.

"Matt?"

Matt was at his side in the next second, pulling Keith's arm around his shoulders, "Yeah it's me. Come on you should really lie back down."

Keith struggled weakly against him, "No, I want to see them."

Matt chuckled "Yeah, I thought so. Though I never did say your bed." Matt winked, tightening his hold on Keith as he guided him out of his room and into the nearly empty hospital corridor.

Their trek was a short one – heading for the room two doors down – but it was slow going. After all, Keith wasn't used to being upright yet, let alone walking, and he felt himself begin to falter in Matt's hold. "Who's room are we heading to?"

Sensing Keith's struggle, Matt quickened their pace, "Lance's. It seems to be the largest, seeing as it can fit his entire family in there. Also it was the closest to your room and to quote Pidge: 'Your stubborn ass would make an appearance at some point.' You know because you _would_ be up and about when you really need to be resting."

"Like Pidge is any better" Keith grumbled softly, and Matt laughed out loud.

"God, I missed you guys." Matt said, his smile serene, though Keith could see the tinge of sadness that lingered in the expression. For three years Matt had thought them all dead and gone, and Keith thought that he could kind of relate to the feeling. Shiro had been legally dead for 18 months, and the two years he had spent in the quantum abyss had been excruciatingly long for him.

Keith broke out of his thoughts as Matt let go of his arm to swing open the door in front of them. He was greeted by an excited Pidge, Hunk and Lance, who were all perched on Lance's bed. Pidge jumped up from her spot at the foot of the bed and rushed Keith, pulling him into a tight hug. Keith smiled, placing the arm that wasn't being used by Matt to hold him up to wrap around the shorter girls shoulders.

"Woah Pidge, let up a bit and let the poor guy breathe." Matt lightly scolded his sister. Pidge broke the hug, poking her tongue out her brother, and went to support Keith's other side. Really, she was too small to effectively hold him up but it was the gesture that counted.

Matt (and Pidge) shuffled Keith towards the bed, "Shove over Lance, he's still pretty unsteady and really shouldn't be standing." Keith went to protest only to be shot no-nonsense looks from everyone in the room. He sighed in defeat, allowing himself to be settled onto the bed next to Lance, who wrapped his arm around Keith's shoulders as he settled.

"Man I'm so glad you're ok." Hunk looked relieved, his hand reaching out to touch Keith's ankle.

"What about you guys?" Keith took stock of his friends more obvious injuries. The bandage that had replaced Hunk's signature headband wrapped around his head. Multiple bruises and small cuts that covered Pidge's arms. The lump hidden under Lance's sheets that could only be a cast covering his lower leg.

"We're ok." Lance squeezed Keith's shoulder as he reassured him, sensing Keith's worry.

"Yeah, we were exhausted more than anything, what with the quintessence drain and everything." Hunk reassured from his place at the foot of the bed "We had a couple of cuts and bruises and I bumped my head when we crashed I guess, hence this…" he pointed to the bandage wrapped around his head, "and Lance really shouldn't be walking around at the moment with his broken ankle-," Hunk threw a pointed glare at the now sheepish looking red paladin "-but overall we're all good."

Keith raised an eyebrow, casting a curious glance at Lance. The Red Paladin cleared his throat before effectively turning the attention away from him, "Allura was the first to recover a few days ago. She's been helping the Garrison build up an alliance between Earth and the rest of the Voltron Coalition."

"That's why this idiot is here." Pidge piped up, elbow digging her older brother in the ribs. The words seemed harsh, as they always did with Pidge, but Keith could see how happy Pidge was to be reunited with her brother, who mirrored the expression.

Matt ruffled his sister's hair, earning him a squawk of protest and another harder elbow to his ribs. "Yep, and speaking of which I should probably get back. You know, help Dad with some stuff."

"Or to go to see your giiiirrlfrrriiiend." Pidge teased playfully.

Matt didn't seem fazed by the teasing remark, "Yep, probably going to do that too." He smirked as Pidge's face fell, shutting the door behind him.

"Matt's no fun anymore." Pidge grumbled, her arms crossed. Hunk and Lance burst out laughing at her expression, though Hunk did reach over to give the Green Paladin a sympathetic pat on the back.

Keith didn't join in, his mind on other things. Or really he was thinking about someone. He wasn't going to admit that he was disappointed that Shiro hadn't been there either time he had woken up. Although Keith was Voltron's team leader, Shiro – along with Allura – were very much the co-leaders of the coalition. Not to mention that as a higher ranking officer with the Galaxy Garrison, Shiro had probably been run off his feet the past couple of days. But still, Keith wondered.

"Where's Shiro?" he asked.

His friends sobered, sharing a look between them Keith couldn't quite place the meaning behind. It seemed serious, _wary_ , one that people usually shared when they weren't sure how to tell him something. He remembered something similar one time before, when he had opened the door to one his dad's co-workers standing with a police officer and Keith had asked where his dad was. Keith's heart shot up into his throat.

Lance was quick to reassure though when Keith looked close to panic. "Wait, hold up there! It's ok man, Shiro's fine. He's just been busy the past couple of days between alliance stuff and making the rounds checking up on us, but he's all good."

Keith still didn't feel convinced. His still drowsy mind racing to conclusions. His team wouldn't lie to him. He knew that, right? But why hadn't Shiro been here.

"Hey," Lance's voice forcefully broke Keith from his panic, his ocean blue eyes meeting Keith's indigo, "Shiro's fine. Exhausted from what I heard but really he was more worried about you than anything."

"Why?" He asked dumbly. It was dumb because of course Shiro worried, it was just what Shiro did. But everyone was ok. Keith was ok...right?

"Keith, you've been barely conscious since the fight." Pidge answered warily. "That was five days ago now."

Keith's mind skidded to a stop, "Oh."

Lance's arm tightened around his shoulder, "You were definitely the worst out of us. Voltron's quintessence was drained straight from Black and you as a result, which combined with the head injury and...dude you really weren't looking good for a bit there." his voice wavered at the last part.

"Yeah man, you had us all worried." Hunk's voice was quiet, dripping with the same emotion in everyone's expressions.

Keith had never seen his friends ever look like this. This worried. Scared even. Not even when Lance was almost killed when Sendak invaded the Castle of Lions.

 _What the hell happened!_

"Shiro nearly worked himself into a panic more than once over the past couple of days. Especially when we all started to recover and you, well, you started looking worse than when you were brought in. I overheard him and my dad talking a couple of days ago and got worried as well." Pidge said.

Keith struggled to find the words to comfort them, his exhausted mind currently reeling with this new information. He had lost five days. _Five freaking days_!

"I didn't mean to worry you." His words didn't seem to bring comfort as he had hoped it would, but it manged to break his friends out of their funk.

"You idiot" Lance scoffed and Keith managed to look a little offended. Lance brought Keith in closer to him, "You don't have to feel like you have to apologise or anything, we would have worried regardless. You're family after all, Mr. fearless team leader."

* * *

An hour later, a knock on the door announced Allura and Coran's entry. Seeing Keith finally awake, the two of them paused, shocked, before Allura broke out of the trance and quickly crossed the room to envelop him in a tight hug.

"I'm so glad you're finally awake!" Allura beamed, breaking the hug.

Coran came up beside Allura. "Yes you had us quite worried for a bit there, my boy."

"What about you guys?" Keith asked.

"We're fine." Allura smiled.

"Well actually you need to rest, Princess" Coran interjected "That is why we dropped by. I was going to return Allura to her room but she insisted on checking up on you all first."

Allura definitely looked to have come out of their fight better than her human (and half-human/half-Galra) teammates. And if you didn't know her, the way she held herself gave away no indication of anything being wrong. But they knew her, and they could all see she slight slump of her shoulders that showed her exhaustion. As the only one who could operate the teleduv as well as the acting head of the Voltron Alliance, Allura was probably working around the clock.

"We checked Pidge and Hunks rooms and seeing them empty we assumed that you had met up in here," she said, "Keith was a surprise though." She cast him a relieved look.

"Well I better be off. Said I would be back to help with maintenance on the ATLAS." Coran moved to Keith's side, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I'm glad to see you're ok my boy."

"I'm glad to see that you're ok too, Coran." Keith smiled up at the older Altean.

It was not long after Coran left that the ward nurse had made her rounds. The poor woman was half panicked as she entered the room, having likely discovering half of the Voltron Paladins rooms empty. She looked as if she were about to scold them but seemed to think twice after looking at them sprawled around the room. Allura had taken up residence on the couch near the window, having fell asleep within ten minutes of Coran dropping her off. Lance and Keith were still lying side by side on the bed with Hunk and Pidge sitting at their feet.

The Nurse ducked out for a couple of minutes, only to return with another nurse, both carrying fold out cots, pillows and blankets. They set up quickly, the second nurse gently rousing Allura to try and coax her onto the much more comfortable cot that was already set up for her – before they left them without a word.

Hunk stared at the door, dazed as the rest of them, "Huh, I thought for sure that they were going to tell us off and make us go back to our own rooms."

Pidge shrugged, shifting from her spot to go lie down on the cot set up at the foot of the bed, "Maybe Coran said something to them when he left."

Hunk yawned, settling himself on the cot closest to Lance and next to Allura's, "Yeah, maybe."

Keith went to move, eyeing the cot next to him, only to find that Lance had him held in an iron grip.

"You're not going anywhere, Mullet. You can barely stand by yourself and I honestly don't mind sharing."

Keith went to protest but could see that Lance was benefiting from the physical contact just as much as Keith had been. He would never admit it though. Being around them, talking to them, reassured him that once again they had beaten the odds and they were all still here to fight the next fight. The feeling of relief when he had first stepped into that room had saw them alive and well had made him feel dizzy. Though Keith also partially blamed the concussion.

"What is it with you and my hair?" Keith scoffed in mock offence.

"What's right with it?" Lance chuckled.

"I like it long."

"Seriously, how does it not get in the way all the time? Like pull it back or something."

"No thanks. I fight with a sword you know, close range, unlike you. Having it pulled back would be an easy target for someone to grab onto."

"You could braid it." Hunk mused quietly, his comment ignored by the two bickering paladins.

"If that's your reasoning then just cut it! Your hair is still long, someone can still grab onto it."

Keith hadn't really though about that, to be honest. They usually wore their helmets in combat (and the Blade of Marmora armour had a mask). He wasn't about to give Lance the satisfaction of knowing he had a point though, "What about your hair?"

"What about my hair?" Lance said defensively, bringing his hand up to worry at the ends.

"You expect me to believe you've cut it since we left Earth? It's starting to get long, it's nearly the length my hair was when we left." Keith smirked, placing the bait.

Lance took it, "I do not have a mullet!" he snapped indignantly, pointing accusingly at him.

"Well at least we know that you two are feeling better." Hunk drawled from where he lay, staring at the ceiling.

"You sure about that Hunk?" Pidge asked tiredly, "At this point I think they would be half dead and still bickering like an old married couple."

Lance had poised himself to retaliate, but at the 'married' comment made a squeaking noise and promptly shut his mouth.

Keith laughed though it was more of a quiet huff, betraying his exhaustion. Lance turned on him, pouting, and Keith nearly doubled over with silent laughter; Pidge, Hunk and eventually Lance joining in.

* * *

Keith woke to a dark room. A sliver of light from the slightly ajar door hit his face, making his headache throb slightly behind his eyes.

He was confused to where he was at first but was quickly reminded when he felt the bed shift next to him. He looked over his shoulder to see the top of Lance's head as the Red Paladin snuggled against Keith's back. The snores coming from Hunk and quiet mumbles from Pidge told him that it was likely late at night or early morning and at some point they had all fallen asleep.

A rustle of movement brought Keith's attention to the foot of the bed, and he noted a dark figure moving from cot to cot, adjusting the blankets on each of the sleeping paladins. The dark figure turned, revealing a soft glow of aquamarine light.

"Shiro?"

Shiro made his way to sit on the side of the bed. "Sorry Keith, I didn't mean to wake you up."

"'s ok" Keith mumbled quietly, smiling tiredly up at his brother. The small amount of light drifting into the room allowed Keith to see the relived smile that Shiro was giving him. But, he could also see the worry lines that gathered at the corners of his eyes. "I'm sorry for worrying you."

Shiro shook his head, "Don't be sorr-"

"Pidge said that I wasn't waking up, and that you were a mess."

Shiro scoffed quietly, "Yeah, I probably seemed that way a couple of days ago."

He didn't elaborate, his expression closed off and Keith knew that he wasn't going to be given anymore information at the moment. Keith saw Shiro's eyes glaze over, and he knew that his brother was caught up in another memory.

Shiro wasn't a paladin anymore. He was the commander of the ATLAS, and whilst that meant he was still in the fight, it also meant that if Voltron were to go down, Shiro would have to helplessly watch on, not being able to do anything to stop it.

Keith knew how it felt. That feeling of helplessness. He had listened to his teams cries over the comms after he fought the clone. With Voltron down one lion, Lotor was overpowering them, and Keith could do nothing but duck his head down, listen to the screams, and pray to go faster.

Keith reached out and grasped Shiro's hand. Dazedly, Shiro looked down at their hands, before meeting Keith's eyes.

"We're alive, Shiro. And we are all going to walk away from this." Keith wasn't quite sure himself if he meant the battle they had just fought or the war in general, but his words had gotten through, as the remnant's of fog cleared from Shiro's eyes.

The corners of Shiro's mouth twitched up into a smile, before he cast a look around the room. "I should go. Let you guys sleep." He went to stand only to be forced to sit again as Keith tugged on their still intertwined hands. Shiro looked at him confused.

"Stay. Please?" Shiro looked ready to object but Keith continued "Have you even slept since the fight?"

Shiro looked away from him guilty. Keith sighed, he though as much.

"Take the spare cot. The nurse's brought in one extra. Probably for me."

Shiro lay down on the empty cot next to Keith's side of the bed, sighing into the comfort of the pillow. He turned himself so he faced Keith, "If it's for you, why are you sharing a bed with Lance." Shiro looked at him slyly.

"He wouldn't let me leave." Keith deadpanned.

Shiro almost barked with laughter, barely catching himself before he woke any of the sleeping paladins. He looked at the two occupants of the hospital bed, that sly, knowing smile still gracing his features that Keith could just barely make out with the low lighting of the room.

Keith could feel the flush on his cheeks, "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

Shiro cocked an eyebrow, "When did the tables turn and you started parenting me?"

"When your stubborn ass refused to sleep for five days."

"Pot calling kettle black." Shiro said around a yawn.

"Good night, Shiro." Keith said forcefully, making a show of ignoring him by rolling over so that his back was to him.

Shiro laughed; a quiet, tired sounding, but ultimately relieved, laugh, "Night, Keith."

It was only a few minutes after Shiro's snores joined the rest that Keith's eyes began to droop. He shifted himself to get comfortable, Lance unconsciously loosening his hold on him to allow for the movement. Keith took it as his opportunity to try and wriggle out of his hold, only for Lance to re-tighten his grip, a quiet whine escaping him.

Keith rolled him eyes, though his mouth ticked up at the corner with fond exasperation at the Red Paladin's antics. He stopped trying to escape, allowing himself to get comfortable as Lance's new teddy bear.

Keith's eyes slid shut, the quiet mumbles and snores of his family lulling him to sleep.


End file.
